U.S. patent application number 12/523219 was filed with the patent office on 2010-07-15 for boot in particular ski or snowboard boot.
This patent application is currently assigned to DEELUXE SPORTARTIKEL HANDELS GMBH. Invention is credited to Sven Seliger.
Application Number | 20100175278 12/523219 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39271535 |
Filed Date | 2010-07-15 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100175278 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Seliger; Sven |
July 15, 2010 |
BOOT IN PARTICULAR SKI OR SNOWBOARD BOOT
Abstract
A boot includes a lacing system having an upper zone of action
associated with an upper portion of the boot body and a lower zone
of action associated with a lower portion of the boot body. The
lacing system includes a single bootlace, the first end of which is
anchored in the upper zone of action and the second end of which is
anchored in the lower zone of action. The boot also includes a
common lace-tightening device, having a handpiece, for the upper
zone of action and the lower zone of action of the lacing system.
The common lace-tightening device cooperates with the bootlace in
such a way that, on operation of the handpiece, the upper zone of
action and the lower zone of action of the lacing system are acted
upon simultaneously in respect of lacing up and opening the
boot.
Inventors: |
Seliger; Sven; (Soll,
AT) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MICHAEL BEST & FRIEDRICH LLP
100 E WISCONSIN AVENUE, Suite 3300
MILWAUKEE
WI
53202
US
|
Assignee: |
DEELUXE SPORTARTIKEL HANDELS
GMBH
Kufstein
AT
|
Family ID: |
39271535 |
Appl. No.: |
12/523219 |
Filed: |
December 27, 2007 |
PCT Filed: |
December 27, 2007 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/EP2007/011435 |
371 Date: |
March 8, 2010 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
36/117.1 ;
36/50.5 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A43C 3/00 20130101; A43C
1/06 20130101; A43B 5/0401 20130101; A43C 11/16 20130101; A43C 1/00
20130101; A43B 5/04 20130101; A43C 1/04 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
36/117.1 ;
36/50.5 |
International
Class: |
A43B 5/04 20060101
A43B005/04 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jan 17, 2007 |
DE |
10 2007 002 367.9 |
Claims
1-11. (canceled)
12. A boot including boot body having an upper portion for at least
partially covering a wearer's shin and a lower portion for covering
the wearer's foot, and having a lacing system with at least an
upper zone of action associated with the upper portion of the boot
body and a lower zone of action associated with the lower portion
of the boot body, the boot comprising: a single bootlace, the first
end of which is anchored in the upper region of the upper zone of
action and the second end of which is anchored at the boot-toe end
of the lower zone of action; and a common lace-tightening device
having a handpiece for the upper zone of action and the lower zone
of action of the lacing system, wherein the handpiece cooperates
with the bootlace in such a way that, on operation of the
handpiece, the upper zone of action and the lower zone of action of
the lacing system are arranged to be acted upon simultaneously in
respect of lacing up and opening the boot.
13. The boot as set forth in claim 12, wherein the upper zone of
action and the lower zone of action each include a plurality of
lace-redirection elements, and wherein the lace-tightening device
is arranged between a first of the lace-redirection elements in the
upper zone of action and a second of the lace-redirection elements
in the lower zone of action.
14. The boot as set forth in claim 13, wherein the lower zone of
action includes at least the same number of lace-redirection
elements as the upper zone of action.
15. The boot as set forth in claim 12, wherein the lacing system
includes a lace guide coupled to the boot body, and wherein a
portion of the bootlace that is in the form of an extended loop
that is manipulable for opening and closing the boot is guided by
the lace guide from the region between the upper zone of action and
the lower zone of action to the handpiece and back again.
16. The boot as set forth in claim 15, wherein the lace guide
includes at least two tubes, and wherein the bootlace includes two
loop-forming extended portions guided through the respective
tubes.
17. The boot as set forth in claim 16, wherein each of the
loop-forming extended portions of the bootlace is guided through a
lace lock coupled to the boot body.
18. The boot as set forth in claim 17, wherein the lace lock is
coupled to the upper portion of the boot body, and wherein the lace
lock is manually releasable.
19. The boot as set forth in claim 12, wherein the bootlace is
guided in such a way that the bootlace crosses over itself at least
once in a region between the upper zone of action and the lower
zone of action.
20. The boot as set forth in claim 12, wherein the handpiece
includes a handgrip through which a loop of the bootlace is freely
guided.
21. The boot as set forth in claim 12, wherein at least one cutout
is provided in the boot between the upper portion and the lower
portion of the boot body, and wherein the cutout is at least one of
U-shaped and V-shaped.
22. The boot as set forth in claim 12, wherein the boot includes a
boot tongue extending at least over a region of the boot body
covered by the lacing system, and wherein the boot tongue includes
at least one of a pull tab and a pull tape for quickly opening the
boot.
23. The boot as set forth in claim 12, wherein the boot includes an
inner boot inserted into the boot body, and wherein the inner boot
includes at least one of a pull tab and a pull tape for quickly
opening the boot.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This is a national phase application under 35 U.S.C.
.sctn.371 of International Patent Application No. PCT/EP2007/011435
filed on Dec. 27, 2007, which claims priority to German Patent
Application No. 10 2007 002 367.9 filed on Jan. 17, 2007, the
entire contents of both of which are incorporated herein by
reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to a boot, especially a ski
boot or snowboard boot.
[0003] Such boots are known in principle from the prior art and are
used especially in various fields of sport, for example in mountain
climbing, skiing and snowboarding, it being important in the first
instance that in use the boot ensures secure support, especially in
the foot region, without the boot's cutting into the bend of the
foot. Furthermore, the boot should sit sufficiently firmly in the
region of the shin in order to transfer the force of the user,
especially in the case of skiing or snowboarding, to the sports
equipment in question in the best possible way.
[0004] In addition to the firm support which a boot should offer,
it is desirable that it should be capable of being laced up in such
a way that the user can easily put on and take off the boot with
relatively little effort. In the case of ski boots or snowboard
boots, that requirement relating to the lacing system of the boot
is of particular importance, because the boot is generally covered
in ice after use, with the result that the lacing system can often
be loosened only with considerable effort.
[0005] DE 20 2004 019 082 U1, for example, discloses a boot of the
kind mentioned at the beginning, the lacing system of that boot
consisting of two bootlaces. One bootlace is used for lacing up the
boot in the leg region, whereas the other bootlace is provided for
lacing up the foot region. For that purpose, the bootlace
associated with the foot region is attached to the boot by one end.
In the foot region, the bootlace is guided through three
redirection elements which are each mounted to the side of the boot
tongue. After the third redirection element, the free end of the
lower bootlace is guided upwards along the leg of the boot, where
the lace ends in a handgrip.
[0006] The upper bootlace associated with the leg of the boot is
joined to the boot and guided in the boot in an analogous way.
[0007] In the solution known from the prior art, the two bootlaces
are operable independently of one another, so that a first upper
lacing zone in the region of the leg of the boot can be tightened
or loosened independently of a second lower lacing zone in the
region of the foot portion of the boot. As a result of the two
separate lacing zones in the leg and foot regions of the boot, at
least in some areas there is no lacing acting on the transition
region between the two zones, that is to say in the region of the
bend of the foot.
[0008] There is therefore a risk that insufficient tension will be
built up in the region of the bend of the foot so that the secure
support in the boot is impaired. In addition, it has been found
that to remove the boot it is necessary to loosen both the upper
and the lower zones. Because the two lacings act independently of
one another, it is not sufficient merely to slacken the upper
lacing zone, because the foot is held firmly by the lower lacing,
and it is not possible to step out of the boot easily.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] On the basis of that problem, the aim of the invention is to
develop a boot of the kind mentioned at the beginning in such a way
that the boot is as simple as possible to put on and take off.
Furthermore, the boot is to be provided with a lacing system which,
in addition to offering greater ease of manipulation when the boot
is being put on or taken off, offers secure support to the foot in
the boot as whole.
[0010] That aim is achieved according to the invention on the one
hand by the boot's lacing system having a single bootlace, the
first end of which is anchored in the upper region of the upper
zone of action and the second end of which is anchored at the
boot-toe end of the lower zone of action, and on the other hand by
the boot's lacing system having a common lace-tightening device,
having a handpiece, for the upper zone of action and the lower zone
of action, which cooperates with the bootlace in such a way that,
on operation of the handpiece, the upper zone of action and the
lower zone of action of the lacing system are acted upon
simultaneously in respect of lacing up and opening the boot.
[0011] An important aspect of the invention is, therefore, that the
boot comprises a lacing system having a single bootlace, the lacing
system having a total of two main zones of action, namely an upper
zone of action, which is associated with the upper portion of the
boot body, i.e. with the leg of the boot, and a lower zone of
action, which is associated with the lower portion of the boot
body. In respect of lacing up and opening the boot, the upper zone
of action has a direct operative and functional connection to the
lower zone of action by way of the common lace-tightening device.
Unlike the known boot, therefore, the boot according to the
invention does not have two separate bootlaces, but has a single
bootlace which can be either tightened or slackened using the
handpiece of the lace-tightening device, this having a direct
effect on the two zones of action of the lacing system.
[0012] The functionally connected zones of action have the result
that loosening of the upper zone of action brings about the
slackening of the single bootlace also in the region of the lower
zone of action, so that slackening the lacing by means of
appropriate operation of the common handpiece loosens both zones of
action, and this, in particular, makes it extremely easy to take
off the boot.
[0013] The upper zone of action and the lower zone of action each
comprise a plurality of lace-redirection elements, the common
lace-tightening device for the two zones of action being arranged
between a lace-redirection element of the upper zone of action and
a lace-redirection element of the lower zone of action. Such an
arrangement of the lace-tightening device having the handpiece
allows especially efficient transfer of force from the handpiece,
i.e. from the lace-tightening device, to the boot lacing of the
upper and lower zones of action, because the transmission of force
is effected by way of the respective lace-redirection elements in
both directions of the lacing. That has the result, in particular,
that the lacing in the upper and lower zones of action can be
tightened at the same time by the application of relatively little
force.
[0014] In one construction of the last-mentioned embodiment, in
which both the upper zone of action and the lower zone of action of
the lacing system each have a plurality of lace-redirection
elements, the lower zone of action has at least the same number of
lace-redirection elements as the upper zone of action. If the
number of lace-redirection elements is identical for both zones of
action, a tightening of the lacing exerted on the bootlace by means
of the lace-tightening device acts in the same way in the upper and
in the lower zone of action of the lacing system. If, however, the
number of lace-redirection elements in the lower zone of action is
higher than the corresponding number in the upper zone of action,
it is possible for a force exerted on the bootlace by the
lace-tightening device to be transmitted unevenly in the two
directions of the lacings. In particular, on application of the
same amount of force, for example, the lacing in the upper zone of
action of the lacing system is then subjected to greater tightening
than is the lacing in the lower zone of action. Analogously, the
lacing in the upper zone of action is also subjected to gentler
slackening in comparison with the lacing in the lower zone of
action when the bootlace is released by means of the handpiece.
Accordingly, the respective action of a force exerted on the
bootlace by the lace-tightening device on the upper and lower zones
of action can be determined in advance by a suitable choice of the
number of lace-redirection elements provided in each of those zones
of action.
[0015] It has proved to be particularly advantageous for the lacing
system also to have a lace guide, provided in or on the boot body,
with which a portion of the bootlace that is in the form of an
extended loop which is manipulable for opening and closing the boot
by means of the common handpiece is guided from the region between
the upper and lower zones of action towards the handpiece and back
to the boot again. The use of such lace guides has the advantage
that the extended loop which is manipulable for opening and closing
the boot is guided securely and, especially, along a predictable
path and does not get in the way when the boot is in use. In
particular, when the boot is in use the lace loop is in that way
prevented from becoming entangled with objects, for example with
branches etc., during snowboarding or skiing. It will be seen that
the portion of the bootlace that is in the form of an extended loop
which is manipulable for opening and closing the boot by means of
the common handpiece is the component of the lace-tightening device
by means of which a force can be exerted on the bootlace by the
lace-tightening device or by the handpiece of the lace-tightening
device in order to adjust the respective lacings in the upper and
lower zones of action accordingly.
[0016] In one construction of the lace guide, the latter has at
least two tubes which are arranged in or on the boot body and
through each of which one of the two loop-forming extended portions
of the lacing system is guided. It will be understood, however,
that other solutions also come into consideration for the lace
guide.
[0017] It is particularly advantageous if the handpiece of the
lace-tightening device can be used to exert force on a portion of
the bootlace that is in the form of an extended loop, that portion
of the bootlace being operable for opening and closing the boot and
for adjusting the lacing in the upper and lower zones of action of
the lacing system with the aid of the handpiece of the
lace-tightening device. That means that the loop of the bootlace
provided in the region of a redirection element does not make
contact with a redirection element but is extended to the extent
that the extended loop can be manipulated for opening and closing
the boot.
[0018] For tightening the lacing, the loop can be lockable, which
is achieved by the two loop-forming extended portions of the
bootlace each being guided through a lace lock which is arranged on
the boot body, especially on the leg of the boot, and is manually
releasable. Because the extended loop is not guided around a
redirection element but is extended, a redirection element can be
omitted in the region of the extended loop. That embodiment offers
a particularly simple way of implementing the lace-tightening
device. Moreover, in such an embodiment the introduction of force
from the handpiece of the lace-tightening device to the remainder
of the bootlace is especially effective, because the force is
conveyed from the extended loop directly to the portions of the
lace guided around the adjacent redirection elements.
[0019] In order that the lacing system of the boot according to the
invention offers particularly secure support in the boot as a
whole, in one construction of the boot, the bootlace of the lacing
system is guided in such a way that the bootlace crosses over
itself at least once in the region between the upper zone of action
and the lower zone of action. As a result of the provision of a
single bootlace, which crosses over itself in the transition region
between the upper and the lower zones of action, there is formed in
the region of the bend of the foot, that is to say in the
transition region between the upper and lower zones of action, a
middle zone of action, with which the tension built up when the
boot is laced up is sufficient to ensure that the foot is securely
supported in the boot and especially in the region of the bend of
the foot. In other words, this means that in this development the
lacing system comprises a total of three zones of action, because
as a result of the crossed-over arrangement of the bootlace a
further, transition zone, that is to say a middle zone of action,
is formed in addition to the upper zone of action and the lower
zone of action. Those zones of action have a direct functional
connection to one another, the middle zone of action, as a result
of its having a functional connection to the two adjacent zones,
acting as a tension-equalizing zone, which also has the result that
the lacing of the boot is tightened as uniformly as possible. As a
consequence, both wearing comfort and secure support in the boot
are improved.
[0020] In addition or as an alternative thereto, it is possible for
at least one cut-out, e.g., a U-shaped or V-shaped cutout, to be
provided in the material of the boot between the upper portion of
the boot body, in which the upper zone of action of the lacing
system is located, and the lower portion of the boot body, in which
the lower zone of action of the lacing system is located, that is
to say in the transition region between the upper and the lower
zones of action. Similarly to the middle zone of action, which is
formed between the upper and the lower zones of action by the
crossed-over arrangement of the bootlace, the at least one cut-out
provided in the boot material between the upper portion of the boot
body and the lower portion of the boot body acts as a
tension-equalizing zone, with the result not only that, on the one
hand, the lacing of the boot is tightened especially uniformly in
all zones of action of the lacing system but also that, on the
other hand, the wearing comfort of the boot and ease of
manipulation of the boot, especially during putting on and taking
off, are improved.
[0021] Comfort during putting on and taking off, that is to say
during operation of the common handpiece, is further increased by
the lace-tightening device's having a handpiece, especially in the
form of a handgrip, through which the loop of the bootlace is
freely guided, which loop is acted upon by the handpiece for
opening and closing the boot.
[0022] As already mentioned, in one embodiment of the boot
according to the invention the two loop-forming extended portions
of the bootlace are each guided through a lace lock which is
arranged on the boot body, especially on the leg of the boot, and
is manually releasable. The lace lock may be a lockable
lace-tightening device. It will be seen that this lockable
lace-tightening device is associated simultaneously with both the
upper and the lower zones of action. With the aid of the
lace-tightening device, which is associated with the two zones of
action, it is advantageously possible for the tension in the
forefoot and in the leg to be adjusted simultaneously. The
lace-tightening device allows, in particular, a progressive
build-up of pressure in the boot, without the need for elaborate
lacing in order, as in conventional boots, to tighten the lace
first in the region of the forefoot and then in the region of the
leg. In one embodiment of the boot 1, there is provided between the
upper and lower zones of action a middle zone of action (e.g., a
tension-equalizing zone), with which a distribution of pressure in
the sensitive bending region of the foot is achieved so that the
boot is prevented from cutting into the region of the bend of the
foot. In terms of comfort when the boot is being put on and taken
off, such an embodiment makes it possible, by loosening of the
lace-tightening device associated with the two zones of action, to
loosen the lacing as a whole by means of a single hand movement,
because the upper zone of action has a direct operative and
functional connection to the lower zone of action (and optionally
to the middle zone of action). Loosening of the lacing in the
region of the upper or lower zone of action is therefore continued
into the middle zone of action and the lower or upper zone of
action, respectively.
[0023] The locking of the bootlace with the aid of the lace lock,
which may be manually releasable, also enables the lacing in the
upper and lower regions of action to be fixed individually.
[0024] In order that putting on and taking off the boot is made as
simple as possible, as an alternative or in addition to the lacing
system according to the invention mentioned above the boot may also
have a boot tongue which extends at least over the region of the
boot body covered by the lacing system and which has, at the
boot-leg end, a pull tab or a pull tape for quick opening of the
boot.
[0025] As an alternative or in addition thereto it would also be
conceivable, however, for the boot also to have an inner boot
inserted or insertable into the boot body, having a pull tab
arranged at the boot-leg end of the inner boot or a pull tape
arranged at the boot-leg end of the inner boot for quick opening of
the boot.
[0026] Other features and aspects of the invention will become
apparent by consideration of the following detailed description and
accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0027] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a boot according to the
invention;
[0028] FIG. 2 is a side view of the boot according to FIG. 1;
and
[0029] FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic view of the configuration of the
lacing system of the boot according to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2.
[0030] Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in
detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in
its application to the details of construction and the arrangement
of components set forth in the following description or illustrated
in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other
embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in
various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and
terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and
should not be regarded as limiting.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0031] FIG. 1 shows, in a perspective view, a an embodiment of the
boot according to the invention, while FIG. 2 shows a side view of
that boot. As shown, the boot 1 according to the invention has a
boot body 2 which comprises an upper portion 2a for at least
partially covering a wearer's shin and a lower portion 2b for
covering the wearer's foot. Also provided is a lacing system 10
which comprises an upper zone of action 11 associated with the
upper portion 2a of the boot body 2 and a lower zone of action 12
associated with the lower portion 2b of the boot body 2. The lacing
system 10 is composed of a single bootlace 13, the first end 13a of
which is anchored in the upper region of the upper zone of action
11 and the second end 13b of which is anchored at the boot-toe end
of the lower zone of action 12. Furthermore, a common
lace-tightening device 14, having a handpiece 14', for the upper
zone of action 11 and the lower zone of action 12 of the lacing
system 10 is provided, which cooperates with the bootlace 13 in
such a way that, on operation of the handpiece 14', the upper zone
of action 11 and the lower zone of action 12 of the lacing system
10 are acted upon simultaneously in respect of lacing up and
opening the boot.
[0032] The mode of operation of the lacing system 10, and
especially the effect of the operation of the handpiece 14' of the
lace-tightening device 14 on the lacing in the different zones of
action 11, 12 of the lacing system 10, is described in detail below
with reference to FIG.
[0033] 3.
[0034] It can also be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2 that in the boot 1
according to the invention the single bootlace 13 is guided in such
a way that the bootlace 13 crosses over itself once in the region
between the upper zone of action 11 and the lower zone of action
12. That region 19 located between the upper and lower zones of
action 11, 12 defines a middle zone of action which acts as a
tension-equalizing zone, so that overall a uniform pressure
distribution is built up in the boot 1.
[0035] In particular, as a result of the middle zone of action 19
(i.e., the tension-equalizing zone), a distribution of pressure can
be achieved in the sensitive bending region of the foot, so that
the boot 1 is prevented from cutting into the region of the bend of
the foot.
[0036] In the transition region between the upper portion 2a of the
boot body 2, in which the upper zone of action 11 is located, and
the lower portion 2b of the boot body 2, in which the lower zone of
action 12 is located, advantageously a U-shaped or V-shaped cutout
3 is provided in the material, especially in the outer material, of
the boot body 2 on each side of the boot tongue 4. By means of such
a cutout 3 on each side of the edge portion of the boot body 2
defining the tongue region, an even better distribution of pressure
is achieved in the sensitive bending region, this simultaneously
having a facilitating action during putting on and taking off the
boot.
[0037] It should be noted in respect of the handpiece 14' of the
lace-tightening device 14 that in the illustrated embodiment of the
present invention it comprises a handgrip through which, as can be
seen particularly well in FIG. 2, a loop 17 of the bootlace 13 is
freely guided. That loop 17 of the bootlace 13 is a portion of the
bootlace 13 that is in the form of an extended loop which is
especially operable for opening and closing the boot 1 with the
handpiece 14. By means of the portion 17 lying free of the boot
body 2, the lacing in the upper zone of action 11 and the lower
zone of action 12 of the lacing system 10 is adjusted with the
lace-tightening device 14 or the handpiece 14'.
[0038] The individual portions of the loop 17 are guided from the
region 19 between the upper zone of action 11 and the lower zone of
action 12 to the handpiece 14 and back again with the aid of a lace
guide 16 which has guide tubes 16'.
[0039] It can be seen particularly well in FIG. 2 that in the
embodiment described the two loop-forming extended portions 17 of
the bootlace 13 are each guided through a lace lock 18 which is
arranged on the boot body 2 and is manually releasable.
[0040] In order to make putting on and taking off the boot 1 as
simple as possible, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2,
in addition to the lacing system 10 mentioned above, the boot 1
also has a boot tongue 4 which extends at least over the region of
the boot body 2 covered by the lacing system 10, and which has at
the boot-leg end a pull tab or a pull tape 5 for quick opening of
the boot 1. As already mentioned, however, it is also conceivable
for the boot 1 to include an inner boot inserted or insertable into
the boot body 2, the inner boot comprising a pull tab or a pull
tape at the boot-leg end.
[0041] The boot 1 having the lacing system 10 shown in FIG. 1 and
FIG. 2 can especially be configured, for example, as a mountain
boot or as a soft boot for a snowboard, the use of the lacing or
the lacing system 10 for a snowboard boot being especially
advantageous.
[0042] For the sake of clarity, FIG. 3 shows, in a diagrammatic
view, only the lacing system 10 and not the entire boot 1 in order
better to explain the mode of operation of the lacing system 10.
The lacing system 10 can be used in the boot 1 in accordance with
the exemplary embodiment of the invention according to FIG. 1 or
FIG. 2.
[0043] Unlike the lacing known, for example, from DE 20 2004 019
082 U1, the lacing system 10 of the boot 1 according to the
invention comprises a single continuous bootlace 13. The lacing
system 10, in the illustrated embodiment shown in FIG. 3,
furthermore comprises two main zones of action - the upper and
lower zones of action 11, 12--and a middle zone of action 19 which
is produced by the crossed-over arrangement of the bootlace 13 in
the transition region between the upper and lower zones of action
11, 12.
[0044] The upper zone of action 11 is located in the region of the
leg of the boot, that is to say in the upper portion 2a of the boot
body 2, while the lower zone of action 12 is arranged in the region
of the forefoot, that is to say in the region of the lower portion
2b of the boot body. The middle zone of action 19 is arranged
between the upper and lower zones of action 11, 12 and acts in the
bending region of the boot 1. The middle zone of action 19 has a
direct operative and functional connection to the upper and lower
zones of action 11, 12 and acts as a tension-equalizing zone. As a
result, a distribution of tension is achieved in the bending
region, because tension established in the upper and lower zones of
action 11, 12 is transmitted at least partially to the middle zone
of action 19.
[0045] Moreover, the lacing system 10 shown in the drawings and
especially in FIG. 3 enables the lacing tightness in the upper and
lower zones of action 11, 12 to be adjusted individually, because
both zones are simultaneously functionally connected with the aid
of the lace-tightening device 14 or the handpiece 14' of the
lace-tightening device 14 in respect of tightening and in respect
of loosening of the lacing. To adjust the lacing tightness of the
upper zone of action 11 and the lower zone of action 12 (and
accordingly also the middle zone of action 19), the common
lace-tightening device 14 having the handpiece 14' is associated
with all zones of action 11, 12, 19, the lace-tightening device
acting as a lockable lace-tightening device in the illustrated
embodiment.
[0046] By operation of the lace-tightening device 14 or the
handpiece 14', the upper and lower zones of action 11, 12 are
tightened simultaneously, the lacing tightness established being
maintained by locking the lace-tightening device with the aid of
the lace lock 18.
[0047] In the example shown, the lace-tightening device 14 is in
the form of an extended loop 17 which is manipulable for opening
and closing the boot 1. For that purpose, the portions of the lace
coming from the redirection elements 15', 15'' arranged on one side
of the boot tongue are not, as is customary, guided by way of a
redirection element arranged on the opposite side of the tongue.
Instead, that redirection element is omitted and the two portions
of the lace are extended in such a way that they form a loop 17
that can be manipulated by the user of the boot, the lace portions
being extended to such an extent that they can be guided through a
lace lock 18 arranged in the region of the upper end of the leg,
the free end of the lace loop 17 projecting beyond the lace lock 18
to such an extent that it can easily be grasped by the user. In
practice, the length of the free end of the lace loop 17 projecting
beyond the lace lock constitutes at least the leg height of the
boot 1.
[0048] To prevent the extended portions 17 of the lace from
becoming entangled or caught up or to prevent them from becoming
intertwined, they are arranged in a guide 16 which is provided in
or on the boot body 2. The guide 16 comprises flexible guide tubes
16' which are incorporated into the boot material or attached to
the boot material. A tongue-side end of the guide tubes 16' is in
each case arranged between or at about the same height as the
redirection elements 15', 15'' of the lower and upper zones of
action 11, 12, respectively. The two tongue-side ends of the tubes
16' are spaced apart from one another and arranged relative to the
redirection elements 15', 15'' in such a way that the bootlace
portions run into the tubes 16' at an angle which can be so
selected that, on the one hand, the lacing angle of the bootlace 13
is uniform over the entire lacing and, on the other hand, in the
transition region 19 between the upper zone of action 11 and the
lower zone of action 12 the bootlace 13 crosses over itself and
accordingly forms a tension-equalizing zone at that location.
[0049] Below the lace lock 18, the two lace portions pass out of
the guide 16 and into the lace lock 18, with the result that only a
very short portion of the lace lies freely on the boot body 2, so
that the lace 13 is effectively prevented from becoming caught.
[0050] The free end of the lace 13 passes through the handgrip of
the handpiece 14' which is freely movable along the lace loop 17,
which handgrip facilitates easy tightening of the lace loop 17 or
the lacing.
[0051] The two ends of the continuous bootlace 13 are attached
respectively in the region of the leg of the boot 1 and in the
lower region of the forefoot.
[0052] Instead of the two redirection elements 15 in the upper zone
of action 11 and three redirection elements 15 in the lower zone of
action 12, as shown in FIGS. 1-3, it is also possible for a
different number of redirection elements to be selected. For
example, four or six redirection elements can be provided, it not
being absolutely necessary to provide the extended lace loop 17
between two immediately adjacent or consecutive redirection
elements 15', 15''. Instead, further redirection elements can be
provided between the two lace portions of the lace loop 17.
[0053] For lacing up or loosening the boot 1, the lacing shown in
the FIGS. 1-3 is operated as follows: by pulling on the lace loop
associated with the upper zone of action 11, the lacing in that
region is tightened, so that the lacing tightness of the boot can
be adjusted. As a result of the functional cooperation of the upper
and lower zones of action 11, 12, lacing tightness is achieved
simultaneously in the region of the forefoot. Because the middle
zone of action 19 has a direct functional connection to the upper
and lower zones of action 11, 12, an equalization of tension
between the upper and lower zones of action 11, 12 takes place up
to a certain extent. By virtue of the equalization of tension by
way of the middle zone of action 19, the bending region of the boot
1 is also acted upon by a certain degree of tension, so that the
foot is securely supported also in the bending region, without the
boot's cutting into the sensitive bend of the foot.
[0054] For stepping out of the boot 1 it is sufficient to loosen
the common lace lock 18 associated with the upper and lower zones
of action 11, 12, because the lacing in the upper and lower zones
of action 11, 12 is slackened simultaneously as a result.
[0055] The invention is not limited to the embodiment of the boot 1
shown in FIGS. 1-3. Rather, any combination of the individual
features of the boot 1 disclosed in this specification is
conceivable.
[0056] Various features of the invention are set forth in the
following claims.
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